Demountable shelf structure



Nov. 10, 1959 H. F. ROBINSON 2,912,119

DEMOUNTABLE SHELF STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 14, 1957 BY g INVENTJYOR. ive 2 $2M United States Patent DEMOUNTABLE SHELF STRUCTURE Harry F. Robinson, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Colerain Metal Products Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August 14, 1957, Serial No. 678,223

3 Claims. (Cl. 211-136) This invention relates to shelving of the type commonly used in grocery stores and food markets to display merchandise and is particularly concerned with the rests which support such shelving.

In display racks of the type to which this invention is directed, the shelf itself is commonly of. sheet metal strengthened by laterally extending channels, and is supported from below by downwardly projecting shelf rests. Along the vertical rear edge of these rests are located two or more hook or screw-type fastenings which engage apertures in a supporting metal framework, so that the rests are easily demountable from the framework. This enables the grocer to adjust shelf spacing by demounting the rests from the frame and remounting them at a higher or lower position as is appropriate for the particular merchandise to be displayed thereon. In addition, the arrangement permits disassembly of the structures for relocation, storage, or shipment.

The grocer or chain store operator normally keeps on hand a considerable amount of spare shelving with which to meet the changing needs of display space required to show the merchandise. The storage space necessary for the spare shelving is largely determined by the downwardly extending shelf rests. In conventional shelf structures the rests are rigidly attached to the shelf to prevent any motion of the shelf when mounted on the vertical standards. When spare shelves are stored by stacking them one on top of another the distance between consecutive shelves, and consequently, the amount of storage space required depends on the height of the shelf rests; relatively few shelves, however stacked, occupy an undesirably large amount of space.

The purpose of this invention is to provide shelving which may be mounted upon or demounted from standards in the conventional manner to which those skilled in theart havebecome accustomed, but having collapsible shelf rests or supports which, when in erect position, provide rigid support for the shelf; and which, when collapsed, lie flat against the underneath side of the shelf. The rests are pivotally connected to the shelf, so that by folding the rests fiat against the shelf, the shelf and rests can be stored or shipped as a unit in a space not appreciably greater than the space required by the shelf alone.

The preferred form of shelving constructed in accordance with this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a shelf having a shelf rest in erect position for attachment to the adjacent frame or vertical shelf standard.

Figure 2 shows a number of shelves made according to this invention stacked on top of one another with the shelf rests collapsed so as to lie flat on the underneath sides of the shelves to decrease the storage space required.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through one shelf and rest taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

, shelf and rest in an erected position.

2,912,119 Patented Nov. 10, 1959 Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 55 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, at each end of the shelf 1 is an inwardly extending flange 11 which is disposed beneath the shelf and may be formed as an integral horizontal projection of an end wall 6 of the shelf or, as shown, as a part of a channel formed separately from the shelf and attached to it by means such as spot welding. If the load on the shelf is so great as to make desirable the use of supporting rests in addition to those at each end of the shelf, similar channels may be attached at intermediate longitudinal positions. A rest 2 preferably, though not necessarily, resides directly below the vertical portion of the channel or end wall 6 so that the wall is in compression rather than in shear. The construction also may easily be altered so that the shelf is suspended from above by brackets of design similar to the rests shown herein and such that the brackets will collapse and lie flat on the upper surface of the shelf.

Spaced at two or more intervals along the upper edge of the rest are inwardly turned shoulders 7. Directly above the inner end of each of the shoulders 7 is a slot 12 formed in flange 11. Extending upwardly from the inner end of each shoulder through the slot isa tab or hinge element 8. The width of the slot is no greater than necessary to permit the tabs to pass through it freely, so that no play or longitudinal shifting of the shelf over the rest is possible. The stop 9 is at a reentrant angle to the tab 8, and is of a length such that its lower edge It) bears against the inner surface of the channel flange 11. The rest, shoulder, tab and stop are readily formed by bending from a single piece of suitable material, such as sheet metal. The stop bearing on the flange prevents the rest from turning outwardly about the outer corner of the lateral shoulder. This rigidities the entire structure since it prevents longitudinal shimmying of the shelf about the rests. Thus, the thickness of the channel metal fixes the distance between two parallel planes, the lower of which contains the upper surface of the lateral shoulder and the upper of which contains theedge 10.

According to one mode of fabrication and assembly,

' theshelf rest, including the tabs' 8, is blanked out from flange. The straight tabs 8 are'then inserted throughthe slots 12 of flange 11, then the free endwise portionof the tabs are bent angularly to form stops 9, as shown in Figure 3. Thereafter, flange 11 is bent to its right angular position. When this flange is bent upwardly to complete the channel formation, the shelf rest is permanently hinged to the channel. Finally, the channel is attached to the endwise portion of the shelf panel 1 by spot welding or until the rest is parallel to the flange, and then is moved upwardly andinwardly until the rest lies flat against the flange, in which position it is nested facially against the lower face plane of the shelf. With the shelf rest in the collapsed position the shelves may be stored by stacking them on top of one another as in Figure 2. The space between the stored shelves is virtually the same as the depth of the channel. The rest is articulated with respect to the shelf but in the construction shown is not detachable therefrom and therefore cannot be lost or misplaced.

In the reverse operation,to erect the rest, the rest is moved downwardly from the flange until further downward motion is prevented by contact of the tabs with the inner surface of the flange; The rest is then rotated outwardly about. the corner 13 until further rotation is prevented by contact of the edge with the inner surface of the flange.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the erected shelf is mounted upon a metal support frame having vertical standards 14 which may be of channel form in cross section. The connecting web 15 of each channel is provided with pairs of vertical mounting slots 16, each pair being spaced vertically above the other for mounting the shelf at selected elevations. If the shelf is provided with two shelf rests, one at each end, then a pair of vertical standards 14 is provided, one for each shelf rest,- the standards being spaced to align with the rests. If intermediate shelf rests are provided, then additional "support standards are located in alignment with the intermediate shelf rests.

The rearward edge of each shelf rest is provided with "a support hook 17 and a load-bearing ear 19, which may be stamped as part of the sheet metal rest structure. The hook projects upwardly and is spaced outwardly from the rear edge of the rest by a connecting section 18, such that the spacing between the hook and the adjacent rear edge is somewhat greater than the thickness of web 15 of the vertical support. The connecting section 18 of the hook and the load-bearing ear 19 register with the pairs of mounting slots 16; the length of the slots is somewhat less than the length of the vertical hook 17.

The shelf is mounted by canting its forward edge upwardly; the support hooks of the pairs of rests are then inserted into the selected pairs of slots 16; then the shelf is allowed to pivot downwardly to a horizontal plane. In this position, the shelf rests project in cantilever fashion from the standards, with the lower portion of each ear bearing upon the lower edge of its slot. In this position, the hooks are in bearing engagement against the internal surface of channel web 15, as shown in Figure 5. When the shelf rests are thus engaged the hooks and ears lock the shelf rests in position, with the stops 9 and shoulders 71in wedging engagement with the opposite sides of flange 1 Indemounting the shelf from the standards 14, the above procedure is followed in reverse order, the forward :edge of the shelf first being raised to a canted position to allow the ears and hooks to be withdrawn from the slots. After the hooks are withdrawn, the rests are pivoted to their collapsed storage position as explained above.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A demountable shelf structure comprising a plurality of shelf supporting frames having a plurality of openings residing in spaced relation one above the other, a shelf 'panel having a depending flange at opposite endwise portions thereof, said flange having an inwardly turned arm formed on the lower portion thereof, a pair of shelf rests disposed beneath said shelf, each shelf "rest having an upper edge, a hinge element projecting from each of said upper edges, the inwardly turned portion of said flange having an opening formed therein, said hinge element passing loosely upwardly through the opening in said flange, stop means connected to said hinge element, said hinge element pivotally connecting the shelf rest to said flange, said shelf rest pivoting from a flat collapsed position substantially parallel with the shelf panel to an erected pOSltlon extending downwardly substantially at right angles to said shelf panel, said stop element contacting the upper surface of the inwardly turned portion of said flange and limiting the pivotal motion of the shelf rest to said erected position, said stop element and hinge element being confined between said flange and said shelf when sergeants collapsed p'os'itidnand 'whensaid restis in an erected position, said shelf're'st lia'ving'a fearwardcdg i which projects vertically relative to the shelf panel in said erected position, a hook element projecting upwardly from said rearward edge of each shelf rest in said erected position, a connecting section which spaces the hook outwardly from the rearward edge of the shelf rest, said hooks interfitting the opening of the said shelf supporting frames and demountably supporting said shelf rests in cantilever fashion from said members, said hooks locking said shelf rests in said erected position with the stop elements thereof in bearing engagement with the shelf flanges at opposite ends.

2. A collapsible shelf adapted to be mounted on a vertical supporting frame comprising a shelf panel, said panel having a depending inturned flange at opposite ends extending at right angles to the rearward edge of the shelf panel, each inturned flange having an upper surface spaced downwardly from the plane of the shelf panel, each of said flanges having an opening formed therein, a pair of shelf rests, each shelf rest comprising a sheet metal panel having a rearward edge residing in a plane with the rearward edge of the shelf panel and having a shelf support edge residing at right angles to said rearward edge, said shelf support edges each having a hinge element passing loosely through the opening of the respective inturned flanges, said hinge element projecting above the upper surface of the flange through which it passes and having a stop element projecting downwardly toward said upper surface, each said hinge element pivotally connecting the shelf rests to said respective inturned flanges for pivotal motion of the shelf rests from a collapsed position residing substantially flush with the shelf panel to an erected position substantially at right angles to said panel, said stop elements engaging the upper surface of said inturned flanges in said erected position and limiting the pivotal motion of the shelf rests to said erected position, said stop element and hinge element being confined between said flange and said shelf when said rest is in a collapsed position and when said restis in an erected position, and attachment means on the rearward edge of each shelf rest, said attachment means providing a detachable connection of the shelf rests, with said vertical supporting frame and locking the shelf rests in said erected'p'ositio'n.

3. A collapsible shelf adapted to be mounted on a vertical supporting member comprising 'a shelf panel, said panel having a depending inturned flange at opposite ends, said flanges extending at right angles to the rearward edge of the shelf panel, each inturned flange having an upper surface spaced downwardly from the plane of the shelf panel, each of said flanges having an opening formed therein, a pair of shelf rests, each shelf rest comprising a sheet metal panel having a rearward edge residing parallel with the rearward edge of the shelf panel and having an upper edge residing at right angles to said rearward edge, said upper edges each having a shoulder bent inwardly at right angles to the plane of said shelf rest, said shoulders being in contact with the respective inturned flanges of the shelf panel, the free edge of said shoulder having a hinge element bent upwardly therefrom and passing loosely through the opening of said inturned flange, said hinge element projecting above the upper surface of the flange through which it passes and having a stop element projecting downwardly. toward said surface, each said hinge element pivotally connecting the shoulder of the shelf rests to said respective inturned flanges for pivotal motion of the shelf rests from a collapsed position residing substantially flush with the shelf panel to an erected position substantially at right angles to said panel, each stop element engaging the upper surface of the said inturned flange at one side of said opening and said shoulder contacting the lower surface thereof on the opposite side of said opening when in said erect position, thereby limiting the pivotal motion of the shelf rests to said erected posit-ion, said stop element-and hinge element being confined between said flange and said shelf when said rest is in a collapsed position and when said rest is in an erected position, and attachment means on the rearward edge of said shelf rests, said attachment means providing a detachable connection with said vertical supporting frame and locking the shelf rests in said erected position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

